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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. net — for catching
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. last — final
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. kick — in football
  13. last — to go on
  14. saw — the tool
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. last — finally
  17. bulb — for light
  18. current — of water
  19. net — after costs
  20. current — electric
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. current — happening now

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com